Phi Rho Sigma Society () is a co-educational medical fraternity founded by medical students at Northwestern University in 1890.

History Phi Rho Sigma Medical Fraternity was founded at the Chicago Medical College (now Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine) on . Its founder was Milbank Johnson, along with, H. H. Forline, J. A. Poling, and T. J. Robeson. Johnson became the fraternity's first president and designed its badge. The fraternity expanded to include Beta chapter at the University of Illinois in the fall of 1894 and Gamma chapter at the University of Chicago in the fall of 1895. Alpha chapter offer saw the general affairs of the fraternity until 1896 when a grand chapter was formed. The grand chapter consisted of three members from each chapter who were elected annually. The grand chapter could issue charters and enact laws.

In response to the addition of new chapters, the fraternity adopted a revised constitution on , which specified that the grand chapter would meet biennially and would consist of two delegates from each chapter. Its first general convention was held in Chicago on through . Conventions have been held as of biennially. Between conventions, the executive power of the fraternity is vested in a grand council composed of seven members who all reside in the same vicinity.

The fraternity's periodical, Phi Rho Sigma Journal, began in January 1900. Its first editor was Dr. T. B. Swartz of the Alpha chapter; he served in this capacity for four years. The Iota chapter also published a magazine called The Iota for many years.

At the grand chapter meeting in July 1901, the constitution was amended to allow alumni chapters. The Chicago Alumni chapter was chartered on November 5, 1901. Its founders were Dr. E. W. Andrews, Dr. Charles M. Gleason, Dr. Frank Jay, Dr. Mortimer Frank, and Dr. D. E. W. Wenstrand.

At the grand council meeting of February 20, 1908, the various chapters were divided into districts that were overseen by district managers. The five districts included Eastern (Lambda), Erie (Kappa, Nu, Phi, Rho, Sigma, Skull and Septre, Upsilon, and Zeta), Chicago (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Omicron, and Pi), Mississippi (Eta, Theta, Iota, Mu, and Tau), and Pacific (Delta).

On April 17, 1911, Phi Rho Sigma absorbed Alpha Omega Delta, a former national fraternity that had a remaining chapter at the University of Buffalo. The new chapter was allowed to keep the name Alpha Omega Delta because of its history.

On , the authorities of Chi Zeta Chi fraternity signed an agreement in Cincinnati to merge into Phi Rho Sigma. By 1936, the fraternity had 27 active collegiate chapters and eighteen alumni chapters. At the time, its membership had grown to 19,050 members.

In , the grand chapter established national awards in the form of gold medals that are given at the biennial meeting. The Irving S. Cutter Medal is awarded to members for extraordinary service to the field of medicine. The Jesse Ansley Griffin Medal is presented to members for outstanding service to society. The medal was named for the founder of Chi Zeta Chi. The Paul McLain Student Research Award is given to student members for significant research while in medical school. McLain was a physician and scientist dedicated his life to teaching medical students. This award comes with a medal and a cash award. Recipients also present their research at the grand chapter. Certificates of Meritorious Service are also awarded by the grand chapter. In 1973, the fraternity changed its name to Phi Rho Sigma Medical Society and started accepting women as members.

Symbols Phi Rho Sigma's colors are gold and scarlet. Its badge was originally a gold shield with the letters , and in black enamel, surrounding a raised pair of clasped hands in gold over an open book in gold. The was in the upper left-hand corner, the in the upper right-hand corner, and the below at the apex of the shield.

At the grand chapter meeting on December 2, 1896, the badge was updated to a monogram design submitted by Gamma chapter. The modified badge consists of the letters , , and as a gold monogram outline, with on a separate plane above the other two letters, set in pearls.

Chapters

Collegiate chapters The chapter roll for Phi Rho Sigma is as follows.Wenstrand, David E. W.; Wilson, C. Stuart; Joyce, William M.; Grulee, C. G.; Nusbaum, P. L. (1912). Phi Rho Sigma History and Directory. Chicago, Illinois: Phi Rho Sigma. – via Internet Archive. Some names reflect the chapter's origin as a previous local fraternity. The Chi series of chapters resulted from the merger with Chi Zeta Chi. These chapters originated as part of Chi Zeta Chi, were the only active chapter of the two fraternities at the time of the merger, or were a Chi Zeta Chi chapter that was older than the Phi Rho Sigma chapter at the same institution. Chapters that are active are indicated in bold; inactive chapters and institutions are indicated in italic. ChapterChartered/RangeInstitutionLocationStatusReferencesAlphaNorthwestern UniversityEvanston, IllinoisActiveBeta – 1969University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign and Urbana, IllinoisInactiveGamma – 1969University of ChicagoChicago, IllinoisInactiveDelta –1919, 19xx–1969University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaInactiveEpsilon – 1965Wayne State University School of MedicineDetroit, MichiganInactiveZetaUniversity of Michigan Medical DepartmentDetroit, MichiganActiveEta – 1973; 19xx ?Creighton University Medical CollegeOmaha, NebraskaActiveEta TauCreighton UniversityPhoenix, ArizonaActiveTheta (see Theta Tau) – 1907Hamline University Medical SchoolSaint Paul, MinnesotaConsolidatedIota first (see Iota Alpha, Iota Beta and Iota) – 1902Omaha Medical CollegeOmaha, NebraskaInactiveKappa – xxxx ?Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OhioInactieLambda (see Lambda Phi) – 1916Medico-Chirurgical College of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaConsolidatedMuUniversity of Iowa Medical DepartmentIowa City, IowaActiveNu – 1923Harvard Medical SchoolCambridge, MassachusettsInactiveIota Alpha (see Iota first and Iota)1902–1968University of Nebraska–LincolnLincoln, NebraskaConsolidatedIota Beta (see Iota first and Iota)1902–1968University of Nebraska OmahaOmaha, NebraskaConsolidatedXi1903–1904Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MarylandInactiveThe Torontonensis, vol. 42 (1940), University of Toronto, p.476.Omicron – 1918Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WisconsinInactivePi – xxxx ?Indiana University BloomingtonBloomington, IndianaInactiveChi Alpha – xxxx ?University of GeorgiaAthens, GeorgiaInactiveToomey, Thomas Noxon (1923). "The History of the Fraternity". The Chi Zeta Chi Medical Fraternity "national" A Retrospect and a Prospect: An Official Document. St. Louis: Chi Zeta Chi Fraternity. p. 12-17. – via Google Books.Chi Beta – 1959Emory UniversityAtlanta, GeorgiaInactiveChi Gamma – 1936University of MarylandCollege Park, MarylandInactiveRho – 1965Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaInactiveSigma – 1929University of Virginia Medical DepartmentCharlottesville, VirginiaInactiveTau (see Theta Tau) – 1907University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MinnesotaConsolidatedChi Delta1906–xxxx ?University of South CarolinaColumbia, South CarolinaInactiveChi Epsilon – xxxx ?University of TennesseeKnoxville, TennesseeInactiveChi Eta – xxxx ?Saint Louis University School of MedicineSt. Louis, MissouriInactiveChi Zeta – 1939University of Arkansas Fayetteville, ArkansasInactiveUpsilon – xxxx ?Medical College of Virginia Richmond, VirginiaInactivePhi (see Lambda Phi) – 1916University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaConsolidatedSkull & Sceptre – 1919Yale UniversityNew Haven, ConnecticutInactiveTheta Tau1907University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MinnesotaActiveChi – 1970University of PittsburghPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaInactivePsi – 1972University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, ColoradoInactiveAlpha Omega Delta – 1931University at BuffaloBuffalo, New YorkInactiveOmega1913–1943Ohio State UniversityColumbus, OhioInactiveAlpha Beta1913–1932Columbia UniversityNew York City, New YorkInactiveAlpha Gamma1913–1938McGill University Montreal, Quebec, CanadaInactiveLambda Phi1916–1973University of Pennsylvania School of MedicinePhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaInactiveDelta Omicron Alpha1918–1950Tulane UniversityNew Orleans, LouisianaInactiveAlpha Delta1921–1944University of WashingtonSeattle, WashingtonInactiveAlpha Epsilon1922–1942University of Toronto Toronto, Ontario, CanadaInactiveAlpha Zeta1923–1959Stanford UniversityStanford, CaliforniaInactiveChi Theta1924–1965Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, North CarolinaInactiveAlpha Eta 1924–xxxx ?Dalhousie UniversityNova Scotia, CanadaInactiveAlpha Theta1927–1935University of CincinnatiCincinnati, OhioInactiveAlpha Iota1929–1944University of ManitobaWinnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaInactiveAlpha Kappa1932–1938University of RochesterRochester, New YorkInactiveAlpha Lambda 1933–xxxx ?Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaInactiveAlpha Mu1935–1941Louisiana State UniversityBaton Rouge, LouisianaInactiveAlpha Nu1939University of Texas Medical BranchGalveston, TexasActiveAlpha Omicron1939–1944, 1956University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallas, TexasInactiveAlpha Pi1948–1965University of UtahSalt Lake City, UtahInactiveAlpha Rho1958–1969Seton Hall UniversitySouth Orange, New JerseyInactiveIota Gamma1964–1974University of California, Irvine School of MedicineIrvine, CaliforniaInactiveIota (see Iota Alpha and Iota Beta)1968University of Nebraska–LincolnLincoln, NebraskaActiveAlpha Upsilon 2012Wright State UniversityDayton, OhioActive

Alumni chapters ChapterCharteredLocationStatusReferencesChicago Alumni Chicago, IllinoisMilwaukee Alumni – 1905Milwaukee, Wisconsin

See also Chi Zeta Chi Professional fraternities and sororities

References

External links Phi Rho Sigma homepage